He made an impression two years ago as a wonderfully dark young prince  and Ben Whishaw has lost none of that intensity in his latest stage and screen roles, says Jasper Rees

In theory, what happened to Ben Whishaw two summers ago could happen to any actor. In practice, it was only ever going to happen to Whishaw. Trevor Nunn announced that he wanted to mount a new production of Hamlet at the theatrical citadel of the Old Vic, in which the lead role would be taken by a genuinely young man. It doesn’t require a leap of the imagination to picture the moment Whishaw showed up for the audition.

Though it’s impossible to think of him doing anything as strategic as dressing for the part, his advantage over other hopeful actors would have been clear before he even opened his mouth.

Just as everyone knows that God is the spit of Professor Dumbledore, in the end we all know what Hamlet is meant to look like, and it’s not Mel Gibson or Toby Stephens.